


The Best Policy

by ShaneVansen



Category: Haven - Fandom
Genre: Angst, Episode Tag, F/M, h/c, post-ep
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-01
Updated: 2012-11-01
Packaged: 2017-11-17 13:39:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/552150
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShaneVansen/pseuds/ShaneVansen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Honesty is supposed to be the best policy. Now, if Claire can only convince Audrey of that. (<i>Real Estate</i> post-ep)</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Best Policy

**Author's Note:**

> Three cheers to December21st, who betaed three fics for me in the space of a week so I could get them posted by Friday (at which point they're completely AU *g*).
> 
> Brief mentions of Nathan/Jordan and one-sided Audrey/Duke.

Claire watches it all until she can't stand it anymore.

She's brought the matter up with Audrey a few times since her abduction, pushed right up against it without _quite_ passing the line, but that approach obviously isn't working. After the whole haunted house incident – who's she kidding, after the whole Nathan and Jordan situation was laid out for all (for _Audrey_ ) to see – the tension's thick enough that Claire's certain that the proverbial knife wouldn't need to be all that sharp in order to slice right through it. She's well aware that she can make everything worse if she's not careful.

Careful, however, does not mean avoiding the issue. In a lot of ways Audrey's not a subtle person and so the indirect approach is not the way to go; it gives her too much wiggle room, too much space to hide. Clearly, Claire decides, she needs to be more blunt.

It takes a little over a week of watching the tension and bottled-up heartache and longing looks behind turned backs before Claire's had enough. One evening, just as Audrey's packing up for the day, Claire enters the office, closes the door, and announces, "You need to talk to Nathan."

She doesn't miss the little flinch at his name, but all Audrey does is turn off her computer and ask, "About what?"

Claire arches an eyebrow, feigning surprise even though this is exactly the response she was expecting. "Really? That's what you're going with?"

Behind her desk Audrey stands, back straight and body language shouting that she's prepared for a fight, but all at once she hunches over and folds her arms over her stomach in a textbook defensive pose. "There's nothing to talk about," she says, not looking at Claire. "He's moved on. I'll admit that it hurts a little, but it's for the best. I'm no good for him, especially if we can't find a way to stop me from vanishing into thin air next month. He deserves someone who isn't going to hurt him."

Claire's not stupid; she knows that Nathan's apparent interest in another woman hurts Audrey a hell of a lot more than 'a little'. She understands much more about Audrey's insecurities than the detective probably gives her credit for and, if she had to guess, Claire would wager that Audrey's spent the past week second-guessing how much Nathan ever cared for her in the first place if he's found someone else so quickly. Commiserating isn't going to work, though, nor will coddling, so Claire goes with the straight truth. "Oh, please, that man couldn't possibly be more in love with you if he _tried_. And you're being willfully blind to the whole thing."

Audrey straightens again, ready to go on the attack, and Claire's glad to see that spark of anger in her. It's better than the defeated expression she's worn so often lately. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what I said. He's going through hell right now trying to find a way to save you and you insist on belittling that gesture every single chance you get."

Audrey comes around the desk with quick, angry steps, pissed off now, and Claire finds herself taking a startled step back. "What the hell are you talking about? I've never belittled Nathan!"

"You have," Claire tells her gently, and Audrey stops, watching her carefully. "You _are_. The show he's putting on for Jordan is tearing him apart to the point where he's almost convinced himself he wants this relationship so that he doesn't feel so guilty for playing her, and every time the two of you talk about it you tell him it's not worth it. Do you have any idea what that's doing to him?"

Audrey opens her mouth, looking ready to argue, but then her expression shifts. Her face creases like she's in pain. "Why doesn't he just tell me what he's doing?"

"Because you're not listening to him. He's tried, a few times, but you keep pushing him away. And every time you choose Duke over him you're doing an even better job of driving Nathan away from you."

"I'm not—!" Audrey throws up her hands in what looks like frustration, then turns and paces a few steps away. When she turns back around she looks to be more in control of herself. "I'm not choosing _anybody_ over him. That man seriously has to get past his dislike of Duke." In spite of herself, Claire finds herself nodding; she's in agreement with Audrey on that one. "Duke's a friend and he's helping us with cases. There's no reason for Nathan to be upset about that."

On this point, Claire has to disagree; it seems as though she hasn't noticed it yet, but Duke's feelings for Audrey Parker are no secret to Claire or, she suspects, Nathan. If she were him, she wouldn't be happy with all the time the other two have been spending together lately either. But Audrey can only take so much at a time and Claire's certain that even hinting at Duke's less-than-platonic feelings for her would be too much for today, so she stays focussed on her original point.

"But look at it from his position," she suggests. "You're spending less time with Nathan and more time with Duke, even knowing how much Nathan doesn't like it. Not only that, you're working with Duke on something that you and Nathan have always shared, just the two of you. How do you think that makes him feel?" She sees Audrey contemplating what she's said and gives her a minute to let the words sink in before adding, "You two need to talk, lay everything on the table. There's enough going on right now without both of you fighting yourselves and each other."

She watches the indecision on Audrey's face as she fights it out internally, and knows the second she makes a decision. She straightens, her expression a familiar one of stubborn determination, and makes it to the door before she hesitates. "What if he's with Jordan?" she asks, head turned in her direction but not quite looking at her.

Claire smiles; the answer to that one's a no-brainer. "Call him. He's going to choose you every time, Audrey. I think you already know that."

Audrey nods once, squeezes the door handle hard enough that Claire hears knuckles crack, and leaves without a backward glance. "You're welcome," Claire drawls to the empty room, undisturbed by the lack of gratitude; she knows Audrey well enough by now to expect otherwise. Satisfied that she's finally gotten through to one of her more stubborn patients, she turns out the lights and closes the door behind her.

_\--end--_

**Author's Note:**

> I'm as spoiler-free as possible, so please no mention of upcoming eps. Thanks!


End file.
